Do foreigners need to pay tax in Thailand?

[topt]

2 minutes ago, rough diamond said:

Why cannot people who post with legitimate questions not get accurate answers?

Instead all we are responses with totally misleading conjecture?

We all have our own imaginations and do not need the tax man ghost forced upon us.

its been going on for 18 months now since the initial announcement.

None of what is written (well most) is new and has all been regurgitated and discussed multiple times already in several main tax threads. Many of the original posters have simply switched off which is why you now have a particularly relatively new member posting information that he seems to believe is new - like the RD explanation booklet.....

 

The simplistic reason for a potential lack of accurate answers is that TIT and lack of clarity can allow all sorts of things to take place........Also what is accurate for one is not necessarily true for another hence the repeated suggestion to seek professional individual advice if you are that concerned.

 

 

[kbb]

Like many others, I'm not sure what the heck to do. 

Some will sit and wait it out, as paying a fine for late filing may be worth it as a cost to learning. 

 

I intend to look for tax help, but we live 10 hours north of Bangkok - In the middle of nowhere. 

 

May be a simple answer here - But haven't seen this addressed. 

 

I have my own Bank Account, opened years ago, It has very little activity. 

 

We have multiple accounts in my wife's name. 

 

In the USA, we file joint state and federal tax returns. 

 

Several times a year, we transfer money from the USA for living expenses, improvements to the house and such.

Nothing complicated, such as thai businesses. Just basic savings accounts and CD investments. 

 

My name is not on any of these accounts. 

 

Here's the stupid question - 

 

__________________________________________________

Do I file taxes on only my account? 

Or - Do I include my wife's accounts as well?

__________________________________________________

 

(I'm fine paying taxes, but ... Getting it close to right seems impossible)

 

 

[JJ-Thailand]

5 minutes ago, kbb said:

Several times a year, we transfer money from the USA for living expenses, improvements to the house and such.

Nothing complicated, such as thai businesses. Just basic savings accounts and CD investments. 

 

My name is not on any of these accounts. 

 

Here's the stupid question - 

 

__________________________________________________

Do I file taxes on only my account? 

Or - Do I include my wife's accounts as well?

The first thing to determine is where the money sent over come from and the second is if the money is an assessable income or not, if the money come from social security, pension, interests, dividends etc. This will determine if you need to file but also if you need to pay any tax according to the double tax agreement and after Thai allowances and deductions.

 

If you have already paid tax in the US on the money sent over, you will most likely not have to pay any tax in Thailand, but you may still have file. Go over to the local revenue branch and explain to them, with a bit of luck they might tell you that you don't even have to file or that you have to file but not pay any tax.

 

 

 

[JohnnyBD]

For those suggesting that Thai tax residents, in the future, may need to show a tax clearance certificate before traveling aboard, you do realize it would also apply to Thai citizens as well. This is not only a foreigner issue. I don't believe this will ever happen because it would gridlock the airports and border crossings. IMO it would be more likely that the tax issue would be addressed at IM when one went to renew their visa or extension. As of today, we have not had any firsthand reports of IM requiring a tax clearance certificate.

[oldcpu]

3 hours ago, KhunHeineken said:

Keep telling yourself that long enough, and you will believe it.

 

Show me an official immigration statement that as of today that every foreigner expat tax resident must show proof of filing an income tax return to obtain an extension. Official proof - across all Immigration offices.

 

You can't.

 

You can't because it is not true. 

 

This is nothing more than your speculation that YOU ARE TELLING YOURSELF LONG ENOUGH THAT NOW YOU BELIEVE IT.

 

As the saying goes, you tell on yourself by what you say to others.

[JJ-Thailand]

19 minutes ago, JohnnyBD said:

may need to show a tax clearance certificate before traveling aboard

It happened to me in Panama. Every foreigner staying in Panama for a period longer than 60 days needed a tax clearance certificate to be allowed to leave the country, took me a full day to arrange. Will Thailand introduce something similar for foreign tax residents? Hopefully not. There are other more efficient ways to make sure tax residents file their tax return and pay any tax owed.